Rising Smoke
by Kelkelmanbow
Summary: <html><head></head>Snow is dead. My daughter and soon, son can now live in a happier Panem. But Plutarch, Haymitch, the Rebels want revenge. More Games. More Deaths. More names to be drawn. We deserve to be alive. But does that mean that we get to?</html>
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey Everyone! Just wanted to let all of you know, I do not own anything of the Hunger Games series, and that I hope you all like the story! _**

"No!" I screamed into the darkness and shot up out of bed, my hands wrapped around my bloated stomach in protection. Beside me, I felt Peeta jolt awake from my yelp. I was breathing hard and sweat was rolling down my face just as the rain was falling on the windows.

"Katniss?" Peeta looked me over, his eyes wide with alert. "Are you alright?" His hands moved to either side of my shoulders as I tried to regain consciousness of the situation. I was in bed like every other night. It was storming outside. It was about three in the morning, and I had just jolted awake from a nightmare.

I nodded to reassure him. Ever since the downfall of the Capitol, Peeta has been both defensive and jumpy. "Yes. I'm fine now." My eyes wandered from the sheets down to my stomach. I had about one to two months left and I had grown more protective of it than anything in all of Panem.

"What was happening?" Peeta asked. He knew all too well that it was a nightmare that woke me. Since the last Hunger Games in which we had became the victors, nightmares had haunted us each night. From the time that Captiol fell, Peeta and I have been there every night for each other when either one had a bad dream. And frankly, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Snow...and Cato. You were still injured from where Cato cut you. I couldn't fight them off." I closed my eyes, the image of Snow with a bow and arrow pointed at me appearing. My arms wrapped tighter around my abdomen as Peeta's wrapped around me.

"Hey, it's alright. They're gone. Everything's ok," He pressed his lips to my forehead and leaned me against his torso. "Is junior hanging in there?" He rested his hand on my stomach just above my fingers.

I nodded. "Yes, he's ok. Probably just as shaken up as I am." I could feel him moving as we tried to settle back down. "Is she awake?" She being our energetic five hear old daughter, Maddey.

Peeta looked towards the door, paused, and then shook his head. "I think she's sound asleep which I think you should be too. You need your rest." I lay back down beside him as he drew me closer. "Especially for tomorrow." He added against my hair.

I sighed and pressed my forehead against his collarbone. I had done everything in my will to forget about tomorrow. Because I had killed Coin, Plutarch had taken the liberty to become the new temporary leader of Panem. However he had asked several others to help him form a republic. Peeta and I, being some of them. I knew I was never born to be a leader, let alone in a government. So tomorrow we had decided we would go to the conference to announce our decision. I wasn't particularly looking forward to telling Plutarch that we were declining our offer. Especially since we haven't seen him or anyone else from those times since we had moved back to District 12. Or what was left of it, at least. Haymitch, who had undoubtedly returned to his constant drunken state, had been invited to join also. However, being that he had already left for the Capitol a few days ago, we hadn't had time to discuss his choice with him.

"Don't remind me," I grumble and hide my face from the world.

He brushed my hair back behind my ear and smiled down at me. "You are such a baby." He chuckled as we both fell back into unbothered sleep.

* * *

><p>"Are you alright?" Peeta asked while he reached for my hand.<p>

I blinked and pulled my eyes from the window of the hovercraft. "Yes, I'm fine." As we flew over the outskirts of Capitol, I felt a sudden drop in my stomach. I hadn't been out here since the end of Snow. Nor did I intend on coming back unless I absolutely had to.

Peeta gave me a skeptic look before sighing. "Don't over think things, Katniss. All we have to do is go in, tell them we're not interested, and leave."

Suddenly, Maddey popped out from behind Peeta's chair and hopped into his lap. "Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

He glanced over at me before grinning down at her. "To the Capitol, Maddey. Your mother and I have some work that we need to do."

"Will I get to see Uncle Haymitch?" She asked, looking from him to me with pleading eyes. It wasn't my ideal choice to have Haymitch there when she was born. But being both our neighbor and a close friend of Peeta and I, there was nothing that could stop him. Once she began to speak and walk, Maddey grew fond of him, as if he was her best friend. He even shared the feelings and did his best to be sober while around her.

Peeta nodded. "Yes, he will be there."

Maddey, now excited, leaped off his lap and disappeared to the rear of the hovercraft again. I paused before letting my eyes return to the window once more.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, studying me. Peeta leaned across and took hold of one of my hands latched tightly around my stomach.

I shook my head idly. "It's nothing." I looked down at my shirt to glance at the mockingjay pin that I still owned since the last games. Before I could stop myself, memories of Rue, Gale, and worse, Prim, began to flood into my mind.

Peeta knew me better than that. "Tell me." He grasped my hand between the both of his tightly.

Swallowing, I took my eyes away from the glass and turned in my seat to face him. "Do you remember what we voted on right after the war? Just before Coin and Snow died?"

His eyes traveled across my face as he dug into his memories. I knew that was an edgy time for him with the hijacking of his mind and all, but he has transformed since then. He's his old self once more. "Coin had suggested a last Hunger Games," he stated, looking me in the eye again.

Nodding, I placed my free hand on top of his.

"You're worried now? Why?"

My lips drew themselves into a line. "What if they draw names, Peeta?" My heart pounded in my chest as I thought about my little five year old in the back of the hovercraft.

He shook his head. "Impossible." His voice sounded both stern and cold. "They won't."

"You don't know that," I contradicted, sitting up strait just as Effie had tried to instruct me all those years ago. "You know how things can go wrong easier than you think. Remember the Quell?" I raised my eyebrows.

Peeta stood up in denial, shaking his head ever so slightly. "No. No, it won't happen." His eyes suddenly became focused in on something on the ground as he thought through the given situation. "No. It can't."

I began to gnaw on my lip. "Anything can happen nowadays, Peeta."

"Don't say that." He said in a warning voice.

"Well, what are we going to do?" I asked, sitting upright again and folding my arms over my chest.

"What do you mean?" Peeta's eyes quickly looked up into mine.

"If it does happen."

I watched his jaw tighten and his hands go to his hips. "We'll talk about this after the meeting, okay?"

It was then that I realized the hovercraft had begun to descend down on the city of Capitol.

* * *

><p>"Katniss," Effie ran forward, embracing me tightly. "It's so good to see you."<p>

Managing a hug myself, I grinned back at her. "It's good to see you too. Keeping things in order as usual?"

She smirked. "You know me well. And how are you, Peeta? Proud father I presume?" Effie grinned at Maddey who was hiding shyly behind Peeta's leg.

Peeta nodded. "Second one will be here before we know it."

"Looks like we're not playing pretend anymore." A familiar voice said behind us. We turned and saw Plutarch standing in the doorway of the room we were about to go into. He was smiling as he walked towards us. "How are you?" He asked after embracing me.

"Fine, pregnant," I grit my teeth but smiled.

He chuckled and nodded, grasping then shaking Peeta's hand. "It's wonderful to see everyone here again."

"There she is!" Haymitch stepped away from the doors, arms raised, and a wide smile on his face.

Raising an eyebrow, I forced a slightly confused smile. Haymitch had never been this happy to see me…

"Uncle Haymitch!" Maddey darted out from behind Peeta and into Haymitch's awaiting arms. He then picked her up and spun her around.

"Oh! You're getting so big!" He chuckled.

Peeta and I stood there, our mouths popped open. Flabbergasted.


	2. Chapter 2

Peeta grasped my hand firmly under the large table that was between all of us. Effie had taken Maddey along with her somewhere so we could all talk about 'big people subjects.'

"As you all know," Plutarch had placed his hands out in front of him on the table. "I have offered all of you to join me in creating a Republic government for Panem." His eyes flashed to each of us; Haymitch, Beetee, Annie Cresta (who, frankly, I was surprised yet happy to see), Johanna, Peeta, and myself. Each of them sat up and took a breath while I lowered my eyes.

"I have a question," Haymitch interrupted. "Where on earth is Paylor?" It was so strange to me that I heard his voice this sober.

Plutarch tilted his head up a little bit. "She has resigned. She will not be leading, but she will be participating in government. Creating a new branch of some sort. Special Assistance Division, something like that." He pushed the matter aside leisurely. Haymitch, on the other hand, did not look too thrilled with the answer.

Peeta's hand tightened around mine. I looked at him and a small smile had formed on his lips. I did my best to grin back as I listened to Plutarch again.

"Continuing, I would like each of you to be part of the Republic we are designing for Panem. However, giving the circumstances," he sighed gravely before standing up. "We will have to postpone-"

Suddenly, the doors opened with a bang. "So sorry I'm late."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

Gale walked across the room to the last empty seat around the table. He seemed as if he was walking on air. After taking the seat next to Annie, he grinned. "Hello, everyone."

The group nodded and murmured their hellos back to him. Everyone except Peeta and I. I wasn't mad at him, just wasn't exactly best friends. After Peeta and I returned to district 12, I hadn't heard a word from Gale. Not a letter or a visit. Nothing. I felt both betrayed and forgotten, as if I had just been pushed aside in his life. I felt a fire rising in my cheeks in jealousy. He seemed perfectly well off. Not a care in the world. It took everything that I had inside me not to stare.

Plutarch nodded his greeting then went on. "As I was saying, we will have to postpone the creation of a new government."

"For what reason?" Haymitch asked casually. He had situated himself so he was leaning against the back of his chair sideways. Same old Haymitch.

"For the last Hunger Games." Plutarch said gravely.

If I had to guess, I would not have been surprised if there was a sudden revolt against it. However, everyone sat silently in their seats. Some shifted positions, others such as Haymitch and Annie sighed and looked down into their laps.

"There shouldn't be any Games." Peeta noted. "We should try to be better than the people we worked so hard to destroy. We do that, we look just like them." His hand had grown tighter around mine.

"We have already had this discussion," Plutarch said with a tint of annoyance. "It's decided."

"What if some of us have changed our minds?" Peeta challenged him, standing up as well. He let my hand fall back into my lap.

"And who would that be?" He raised an eyebrow.

By now, everyone in the room was looking at us. Even Gale. My hands found their way around my stomach as the tiny baby shifted as well, making me on edge.

"Me." Peeta looked both determined, yet pleading for supporters. I suddenly felt pain in my heart and looked down into my lap. "And Katniss too."

"Katniss has already placed in her vote the day it was decided, if you do not recall," Plutarch said, sighing softly.

I chewed the inside of my lip. "Things have changed," I said into my lap before looking up. "I change my vote."

Plutarch looked both astounded and provoked. "It is too late for this. The choice has been made, and the arena has been staged."

"Under your command no doubt," Peeta muttered under his breath, drawing more attention to us.

Sighing, I stood up and grasped Peeta's hand. "Look, after having Maddey, I changed my mind right then and there. Peeta is right. If we go through with another Game, think of what kind of message that will be sending to the youths." My free hand wrapped around my stomach. "We will practically be building up what we worked so hard to tear down, Plutarch. And you know it."

"I believe Plutarch is right on this one." Gale countered and sat up. Annie, beside him, began to look uneasy. "We need to teach the old Capitol families a lesson. Show them what we had to go through."

"By acting just as Snow did?" I reacted. "Why would that make us any better than him? If anything, it would make us just _as _bad if not worse!" I felt my voice begin to rise in volume. Peeta's hand tightened on mine again.

Gale stood now, his jaw tightened. "So what are we supposed to do? Let them go without punishment of any kind? After all they did to us?" Annie shifted in her seat, cowering slightly away from Gale's side of her chair. She reminded me of a little innocent child who was being yelled at harshly for a small mistake.

"The families had nothing to do with it!" I barked. "Their children did nothing to you! The people who did have been taken care of, and that should be the end of it!" Peeta put his arm around my shoulders and tried to sit me down.

"Easy, sweetheart," He murmured.

Johanna looked over at us. "I get where you're coming from, Katniss. But think about it. All this time they've been doing these games and our families had to suffer."

I had to swallow to keep from tearing up. It felt like everyone was against us. All of our friends, loved ones, were betraying me. I felt helpless.

"See? It is in the best interest of everyone to hold one last Game, Katniss." Plutarch sighed with relief as Peeta forced me back down into the seat. Gale hesitated before sitting down, taking his eyes off of me as fast as he could.

"What age groups, then?" Peeta asked coldly.

"The Capitol families have a younger range of children. None above the age of thirteen. After discussing it, we have decided the ages five to thirteen."

I wanted to lunge across the table and shoot an arrow into his head. "No!" I cried and struggled against Peeta's awaiting restraints.

"Names have already been submitted and placed into the bowls." Plutarch spoke over my yells as I tried to get Peeta to let me go. Frantically, I looked to everyone else, Johanna and Beetee, not even Haymitch would look at me. Suddenly he seemed as if he was ready for a drink.

I had never been this mad at a friend before in my life. "Now you've gone too far, Plutarch!" I snarled and tried to claw my way out of Peeta's iron-hold of me.

"Do not blame me!" Plutarch shouted, now leaving annoyance behind and becoming all around pissed. "I did not choose all of this!"

This quieted everyone; mostly just me. Confused looks spread across the table. Annie had just begun to settle from the dispute between Gale and me, and had sat upright in her seat again, her face grave. "Whatever do you mean, Plutarch?" She asked.

Plutarch sighed heavily and wiped his face with a handkerchief from his pocket. He stood standing but stepped a foot back from the table. "I said, I haven't been the one making the decisions here. I am merely the messenger for the time being."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Haymitch spat. He sounded more like himself then.

Behind all of us, the large doors opened. A man at about the age of twenty five to thirty glided into the room. He had dark brown eyes and chestnut brown hair. He was tall and muscular, must have been some kind of general. "Everyone, this is Castle Graham." Plutarch spoke into the dead silenced room. Inside me, the baby moved repeatedly, causing me to flinch a little.

Peeta noticed instantly. "Are you ok?" He whispered quickly.

I nodded, putting my hands over my stomach to try to calm the baby down. Wouldn't help.

Castle smiled at us, his hands behind his back. "Welcome. I'm really sorry this is how we all had to meet, but it's not like we haven't had crazier meetings before." He chuckled.

Beetee sighed, shook his head and covered his forehead with his hand. Haymitch slapped himself in the face and held his hand there. Johanna looked beyond pissed, and Annie just looked down right confused. Peeta and I, on the other hand, were sporting the same confused and astounded look.

"Who do you think you are?" Gale asked.

"Well, right now I'm leader of Panem, until you all create a republic at least." Castle grinned and rocked back and forth on his heels. He looked like a prep school boy. Must have come from a rich family, thinking he could run the show easily just on his connections.

"Where did you come from?" Johanna spoke as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Castle smirked and nodded a little. "I'm originally from District 12, but when I reached the age of sixteen I was moved to District 2."

And I could see why. Through his dress shirt I could see the distinct lines of his muscles in his arms and torso. He looked like he had just stepped out of a boot camp and placed in a shirt and tie.

"Why weren't you in District 13 then? Where all the rebels were…at least the ones that mattered." Johanna did not take kindly to strangers. If it hadn't been obvious before.

Castle looked a little taken back. "I was held up in District 2."

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Sure you were." She grumbled.

"Ok, ok, that's enough," said Plutarch. "In order for this to go as smoothly as possible, we all have to work together on this and get it over with."

"And if we don't want to participate?" I asked in a mocking tone.

At this, Plutarch did his best to smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Peeta held onto my hand firmly as the group stepped away from the table. It was like he didn't want me to leave him on his own. Or possibly allow me to wander. Peeta and I did our best to flee the scene unnoticed. We weren't exactly in the mood for reuniting with some of the others at the moment. Haymitch informed us that Maddey was still with Effie, somewhere getting sweets of some kind. Just what we needed, a hyper five year old.

"Will you be staying with me?" Johanna asked as she joined Peeta and me at the front exit.

"I believe we are." Peeta confirmed. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Want to ride with us?"

Johanna nodded as our hovercraft descended down out of thin air. Johanna informed us that Haymitch and Effie too were staying in the same building. Just like old times. I hadn't realized it had been the same place where we stayed before the Hunger Games and Quarter Quell. As the hovercraft lowered to the rooftop, my stomach twisted into knots. Not because of the baby, but because I began to remember the night before the Games with Peeta on that rooftop. He noticed this too and gave me a soft squeeze around the shoulders.

Our bags had already been taken into our room and placed neatly on separate dressers. As soon as I got into the room I fell backwards onto our bed and pulled one of the pillows over my face. "What just happened in there?" I grumbled.

Peeta sighed heavily. "I don't know. But I sure as hell don't like that Castle guy."

"You and me both," I groaned and sat up, rubbing my stomach soothingly. "Junior had a fit when he came in."

He walked across the room and sat down on his knees in front of me. "I noticed." Peeta leaned forward and kissed the peak of my stomach, rubbing it softly. "You need to be a little nicer to your mother, you know. She's gone through enough today as it is."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "That was the least of my worries. What's with Plutarch taking orders from him anyway? What is he, twenty?"

"Actually he's twenty eight. Beetee had the insight on him before we got in there." Peeta noted while pretending to be interested in drawing patterns and designs on my belly with his finger tip.

I groan and run my hands over my face. "What are they doing over there?" I ask rhetorically.

"Everything's going to be fine, Katniss," Peeta murmured softly before sitting up and placing a kiss on my neck.

Sighing and placing my hands in his, I nod. "You're right. I'm over thinking things. I mean, if Plutarch is on board with him, he can't be that bad, right?"

Maddey rejoined us just before we were served dinner. She showed off her new outfit that Effie had bought her, and even had her makeup done professionally.

"I look like you, Mommy!" She giggled with delight as she spun around in her dress. Peeta wrapped his arm around my shoulders and chuckled with her.

"Now who does that remind you of?" He laughed.

Johanna was right when she said most of us were staying here as well. Haymitch, Effie, Johanna, Annie, Peeta and I were all accompanied for at the dinner table as they brought out the first course; Lamb stew.

Maddey was a little pickier when it came to her food, but got most of it down. Halfway through the meal, Gale decided to show his face and walked in briskly as if nothing was wrong with him showing up late. I grit my teeth and tried to keep my eyes away from him until desserts.

"You ok?" Peeta noticed that I had almost bent my spoon in half from grasping it so tightly. I had begun to imagine that it was Gale's throat. "You seem a little…tense." He eyed the spoon.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just tired." I answered as quickly as I could so I could push my full plate of lemon pie out of the way. I didn't need my stomach any bigger as it was.

Peeta eyed me suspiciously the nodded. "Do you need to go lie down? Get some air?"

I blinked. "Yes, that's probably a good idea." Thank you for the escape route, Peeta. I pushed the chair backwards out of the way and headed for the exit, leaving Peeta alone to deal with our daughter who had begun to complain there wasn't enough whipped cream on her pie.

The air outside was still warm from the sun earlier today. It was thick but there was a soft breeze every now and then. The sun was halfway below the horizon, still beaming its bright colors through the sky. I took a seat on the side of the roof, my hands folding over my stomach. I could really think out here and be comfortable with it. I remembered the night Peeta and I came out here alone. It seemed so long ago since then, like it was a parallel universe.

"It's not a good idea to sit on the edge like that." A voice warned me from behind.

I didn't need to turn around. I grit my teeth anyway. "What do you want?" I had to restrain myself from snapping at him.

"For you to back away from the edge is all," he said casually.

"There's nothing to worry about. There's a stupid force field." The annoyance was building more and more in my voice the more he spoke.

"Better safe than sorry. Especially for your baby." He was almost right behind me now.

I turned around. "What do you want?" I asked again, glaring up into his grey eyes.

Gale half smirked at me. "So rude today, aren't you?"

"I have reasons to be," I snapped back, standing up.

"What did I ever do to you?" He questioned, moving over to the side and getting right in the way to my escape. I looked him over; his hair had grown only a little since I had last seen him. He was still large and muscular, and the soft scent of oranges still clung to him.

"You left, that's what." I answered, trying to move around him, only for him to move with me.

"What do you mean? You mean when I went to District 2?" His eyes narrowed in confusion.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes."

He looked taken back. "Where is the harm in that?"

"You didn't write. Or visit. Hell, I would have made you Maddey's godfather, but you weren't there when she was born!" I felt junior moving more inside me as my anger built.

Gale blinked and paused for a moment. "You wanted me to be there?"

I sighed heavily. "Of course! Why wouldn't I have?"

"Because you're married to him."

His answer cut through me like a knife. Suddenly all the anger flushed out of me as if he had pulled the plug. My angered expression left my face and was suddenly calm. My mouth hung open slightly and my eyes looked over his face. "So that's why you didn't want to see me again."

"That's not what I wanted, Katniss, you know that. I would have been back in a heartbeat." He reached his hand out and rubbed the side of my face gently.

I pulled back. "Well you obviously didn't care enough to keep in touch."

"I did, and I still do." He stood his ground.

"Why didn't you come back to 12 with us, Gale?" I asked, looking deep into his eyes.

He stared back at me for a moment, as if he was lost in mine. His mouth opened for a moment then closed again, the words caught in his throat. "I…I couldn't live every day seeing you with-"

"With Peeta," I answered for him, my teeth gritting again.

Instead of answering, he just looked at me, his gaze focused on my face. That was all I needed to know as I tried to push through him. "Katniss wait," He tried to grab my shoulder to stop me before I shrugged him off.

"No. I did wait, Gale. I waited for you to come home. Sure, I married Peeta, but weren't we best friends before any of this ever happened?" I felt hurt and betrayed all at the same time as we exchanged glances.

That hit him hard too. He let go of my shoulder as I headed for the door. "I always cared about you, Katnip. You know that."

It stopped me dead in my tracks, my hand on the doorknob. I turned to look at him. His head was tilted downwards a little and his eyes were glued to the rooftop. He reminded me of Maddey when she was sad and thinking about something.

"Yeah. I know." I replied and turned back around, walking to him a little. One thing I hated about Gale more than anything; I couldn't stay mad at him long enough.

"I am sorry, Katniss. I should have visited, I regret that now." He spoke, his eyes flitting up to meet mine. "You are right."

"I'm always right," I grin and push some of his hair out of his face. He smiled back at me, embracing me in a hug. Suddenly, I felt and heard rain falling against the pavement. Funny, I hadn't felt it on my face or arms.

"Katniss?" Gale looked at me strangely before we both looked down at our drenched feet. There was a large stain on the front of my skirt where the water had run down.


	4. Chapter 4

Gale had run off to find Peeta and Maddey while Haymitch helped me onto a nearby couch. At the moment I hadn't felt a thing, yet everyone was acting like the place was on fire.

"Are you ok, Katniss? Do you need anything?" Haymitch looked me over frantically. He looked more nervous and flustered than I was.

"No…I'm fine," I wrapped my arms around my stomach and relaxed back on the couch. How far away was the nearest hospital?

"A hovercraft's on the way," Effie bustled in, of course, a clipboard in her hand. "Are you feeling any pain?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes as I rested my head back. This, of course, would only happen to me.

"Katniss!" A door busted open and in ran Peeta, his eyes frantically searching through the room. Behind him, Gale had Maddey propped up on his hip, obviously so they could move faster instead of dragging her along. Peeta rushed over quickly, grabbing onto my hand and putting his free one on my cheek. "Are you alright?"

Unable to hide my smirk, I chuckled softly. "Yes, Peeta, I'm fine. It hasn't done anything drastic yet, calm down."

"Where's the hovercraft?" Peeta looked from face to face frantically.

"It's on its way, Peeta," Effie replied calmly.

"Well-"

"Peeta!" I groaned and grabbed his face between my hands. He stared back at me, his words still lingering in his throat. "Calm down, ok?" I ran one hand over his hair then let him go, his face still frozen.

"Calm. Right." He murmured back to me, taking a knee beside the couch.

"Is he coming, Mommy?" Maddey asked, peeking over my bloated stomach.

"We don't know if it's a girl or a boy, sweetheart," I replied. There was a pain in my lower abdomen and I winced slightly. Ouch.

"I think it's going to be a boy. I can tell." She folded her arms on the couch and watched with a small grin on her face.

As the contractions became more and more prominent, my calm mood dwindled off till I was almost as frantic as Peeta had been. Latching onto him as he carried me to the hovercraft, he chuckled. "Calm, huh?" I wanted to smack him.

In the hovercraft, they told me I was almost ready and too close to the birth that I couldn't have the drugs. Just my luck. By then the pain had gotten so bad I was almost screaming with each contraction. Funny, I hadn't remembered Maddey's birth being this bad.

"Just breathe," Peeta grasped my hand. Well, I was actually clamping down onto his. It could have been possible his fingers were blue, but I hadn't exactly checked.

My breaths were coming fast and sharp by the time we reached the hospital. The pain had taken me over. I was screaming all the way down the halls as my large group of friends and family tried to follow us. The doctor stopped them somewhere along the line, Peeta being the only one with me now.

The contractions were ridiculous. They had told me I was dilated enough that I could push, but frankly, I was scared to. It was then that Peeta explained to me that I had the drugs for Maddey's birth, hence why it didn't hurt like this. As I pushed, I felt Peeta getting more and more excited.

"You can do this, Katniss!" He whispered and pressed his forehead to my sweaty one, my breaths coming harder than ever before. "C'mon, hon, just a little more," he urged.

With a final push, my baby was born. Unable to hold myself up anymore, I laid back against the pillows while they wrapped him in a blue blanket. This must have been what it was like to have a baby in the old District 12. Back then, we were such a poor district that we didn't have enough money to buy these kinds of drugs for pregnant women. They would be at home and lucky enough if my mother or someone else who knew what to do could make it.

"It's a boy, Katniss." Peeta kissed my forehead lightly. "Maddey was right."

"Fletcher," I whispered hoarsely.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asked gently and pushed my wet strands of hair out of my eyes. His hand was still tightly laced with mine.

"Yes," I breathed and closed my eyes as Fletcher's cries were heard through the room.

"You've taken much worse before," he chuckled softly and kissed me on the cheek.

As a response, I looked out one eye at him, one of my eyebrows rising in confusion.

"You know…the Games…" he murmured and squeezed my hand.

Sighing, I shook my head a little. "I would have rather played the Games than do this again." Just as I finished, one of the women brought over Fletcher to me. She placed him in my arms and as she did, he quieted instantly. He had my eyes as he stared up at me; his face calm and full of wonder.

"He's got your eyes," Peeta noted.

"No doubt your hair," I replied, running the end of my finger down his soft baby cheek. "Hi, sweetheart," I cooed down to him and nuzzled his forehead with my cheek, holding him close. "Welcome to Panem."

"Well done, Katniss!" Effie beamed at me as Fletcher slept in my arms. "He's beautiful!"

Smiling lightly, I nodded. "Thank you, Effie."

"He looks just like you, Peeta," Johanna nudged him with her elbow, a smirk on her lips.

"He's got Katniss's eyes," Peeta shrugged and I grinned at him.

"Can I see, Mommy? Can I?" Maddey stood on her tip toes to get a peak at her baby brother, grabbing onto the edge of the bed and straining. Peeta lifted her up from behind and set her down on the bed next to me. Her blue eyes brightened at the sight of Fletcher, her mouth opening slightly in awe. "He's pretty, Mommy!" she whispered.

"Mnhm," I nodded. Fletcher's eyelids fluttered but he didn't wake.

"What's his name?" She asked, leaning in closer.

"Fletcher."

"I told you he'd be a boy, didn't I, Daddy?" Maddey smiled widely and looked over at him. Everyone in the room chuckled.

"Why don't you and I go get some ice cream, Maddey?" Effie proposed, noticing my slight uncomfort of Maddey leaning over the baby.

Johanna nodded. "I'll come too. C'mon, Shorty," she chuckled and held out her hand to Maddey who leapt off the bed and took it, skipping alongside Johanna's long strides.

From in the corner of the room, Gale stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. "Congratulations, Peeta. He's beautiful." Gale lifted his hand out to him as silence filled the air.

Peeta hesitated at first then shook it. "Thank you." Peeta looked between me and Gale before kissing my forehead softly. "I'll go make sure Maddey doesn't have too much sugar."

"Alright," I grinned and watched him leave.

Gale looked at me with his soft eyes. "How are you feeling?"

I blinked and shifted Fletcher to a better position. "Better," I replied shortly.

"I wish I could have been there for her, too." He noted, his eyes falling down on Fletcher.

I took a deep breath and nodded, my lips forming a line. Before I knew it, Fletcher's eyes were looking up at me. Suddenly, he began twitching slightly as he began to cry. "Oh, no, sweetheart," I whispered lightly, propping him up better as he cried.

Gale sat down in the seat that was provided for Peeta and watched me. "May I?" Gale held out his arms to me.

Before I knew what I was doing, I placed my crying son into Gale's arms. Gale cradled Fletcher in his arms, close to his chest. Suddenly, Gale began to sing.

_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow__  
>A bed of grass, a soft green pillow<br>Lay down your head, and close you sleepy eyes  
>And when again they open, the sun will rise<br>Here it's safe, here it's warm  
>Here you dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true<br>Here is the place where I love you."_

Awestruck, I sat up, my mouth dropping. In Gale's arms, little Fletcher began to quiet as if he was being put under a spell. His cries softened and he slowly fell back asleep. Gale grinned softly, his eyes glued to Fletcher's sleeping body. A lump grew in my throat as I pushed back tears and thoughts of Rue. "Where did you learn that?" I asked, swallowing hard.

Gale glanced up at me then back at Fletcher. "Home."


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days was filled with annoyance. Annoying nurses, annoying visitors. Especially Plutarch. I had been so pissed at him since the day of the meeting that I wanted to strangle him the moment he entered the room. But I had Fletcher in my arms. Sadly.

When we were allowed to return back to our room, Peeta had suggested that we fly back to District 12 until we are needed again. At first, Plutarch and Haymitch refused the idea. But when I had explained that I would need a while of rest and that all of Fletcher's things were at home, they had to give in. Just as Peeta was loading up our hovercraft with our luggage, Gale pulled me aside, Fletcher in my hands.

"I'm coming with you." He said bluntly, holding one suitcase in his hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you're trying to make up for before-"

"I wasn't there for one of your children, Katniss. Let me be there for him." Gale looked deep into my eyes. "Please."

How could I say no.

Maddey suddenly realized what was going on and she jumped up and down happily. "Mommy, Mommy! Is Uncle Gale coming home with us?" Hearing this caught Peeta's attention like an electric shock. He whipped around and narrowed his eyes at Gale.

"Why?" Peeta asked, looking between the two of us.

Gale got in the way of Peeta's gaze, blocking me from him. "Because I haven't been home in a while, and I promised Katniss I'd babysit." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Watching Peeta, I started towards the hovercraft while cradling sleeping Fletcher. "I told him he could, Peeta." I murmured and found my seat.

As Gale walked up the platform into the craft, Peeta eyed him and took his place next to me; taking my hand and squeezing it hard.

* * *

><p>Just as we were flying over the former District 12, I caught a glimpse of the look on Gale's face. His eyes looked weary and his face was blank. I could tell he was making a mental map. An image of what it used to look like before it was destroyed. Now there was grass and flowers growing everywhere, like a meadow. But just after the bombing, the place had been dust, debris, ruin. Seeing the look on his face now had almost brought me to tears.<p>

"Gale?" I broke the silence, my eyes glued to him. "Are you ok?"

He parted with the window to look at me, his expression plastered onto his face. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Peeta took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I squeezed his hand and gave him a look.

When the hovercraft landed out on the street, I stood holding Maddey's hand with one hand and holding Fletcher in the other. Peeta grabbed our luggage and made his way down the walk way and into our home. Maddey ran behind him, excited to unpack her new wardrobe (thanks to Effie). Gale straggled behind, taking in the view. Where we lived was not like what District 12 had once been. It was nicer, richer, classier. The road was a cobble drive and bright colorful flowers were blooming everywhere. It was practically the opposite of District 12. I hadn't thought about it until I watched him, looking around as if he didn't know where to start.

"C'mon," I motioned, holding our front door open with my free hand.

"It's different," He murmured, still looking around.

"I know," I replied, glancing down at Fletcher.

"How come nobody's come back?" He asked, looking past the walls of the tiny two housed neighborhood.

My lips went dry as memories flooded back. "I dunno. They may not have wanted to live with remembering..." I trailed off, thinking of the hut I used to live in with Prim and Mom. "What's the real reason you didn't come back, Gale?" I questioned, looking into his eyes.

He paused for a moment, hearing this. His eyes glided over Fletcher's sleeping lids, then up to mine. "I couldn't come back." And with that, he went through the door, leaving me standing on our front porch.

* * *

><p>"Maddey, honey, please eat." Peeta pushed his plate back in front of her, but she shoved it away again, folding her arms.<p>

"No! I don't wanna eat it!" Her plate had consisted of Mac'n'Cheese, a small beef steak and some green beans. When I was her age, if I had a plate like that, I would have been shoveling it down my throat.

I sighed, exasperated. Thankfully, Fletcher was napping.

"You know, Maddey..." Gale began, chewing his steak. "When your parent's and I were kids, we didn't have that stuff to eat."

Maddey suddenly became curious. "What did you eat then?"

Gale shrugged, smirking. "Oh, you know. Goat innards, some weeds that we could find. You know those dandelions you like to pick?"

She nodded, her eyes fixed.

He made a chewing sound. "Mm. Delicious." He winked at me and I did my best not to laugh.

Maddey's eyes grew extremely large and she suddenly became interested in picking at her mac'n'cheese. Peeta grit his teeth in agitation, but went back to his food as well.

* * *

><p>"Why did he come, Katniss?" Peeta asked from the bathroom while I laid in bed, nursing Fletcher.<p>

"What's the matter with it?" I counter attacked, not pulling my eyes away from the blanket draped over my upper half. "He's not doing any harm."

I heard Peeta sigh and set down his toothbrush a little more forcefully than he should have. "I just don't like it."

"He hasn't done anything wrong," I replied.

"Not now, but he-" He took back his words and emerged from the bathroom.

"What?" I glanced at him. "What?"

"Nothing." He grumbled.

"Peeta tell me right now or so help me-"

"I just don't like it, ok?" Before I could say anything else, Peeta turned off the light and climbed into bed, his back facing me. I sighed and pulled Fletcher out from under the blanket, pulled down my shirt and took him across the room to put him in his crib. His eyes were big and they looked up at me, a smile creeping up on his mouth. It was infectious.


End file.
